Harmans Costs Brief

Harmans Costs Brief - June 2015

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Welcome to the latest edition of Costs Brief. There are plenty of articles to browse through this month with a particular focus on Legal Aid - the latest on the cuts, changes to payment for judicial review cases and news of a new crowdfunding platform too.

We hope you enjoy this latest Costs Brief and its fresh new look, please do let us know if you've got a topic that you would like to see us cover in the future.

Many thanks, Harmans Costs

For even more news and comment visit our website www.harmanscosts.com

In the news

Vicar wins High Court battle over Â£125 costs for council tax summons
A High Court judge has declared a Â£125 costs order made by magistrates for a council tax summons to be unlawful, following a challenge by a retired vicar and anti-poverty campaigner.

Law Society: Public bodies should pay costs plus a surcharge if decisions are overturned
Public authorities including councils should pay the cost of claimants to the legal aid fund together with a surcharge where their administrative decisions are overturned by courts and tribunals, the Law Society has proposed.

The Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 set out changes to payment for judicial review cases
New regulations were introduced on 27 March 2015 which make amendments to the provisions governing payment for providersâ€™ work on applications for judicial review.

Crowdfunding website looks to fund public interest litigation
A new crowdfunding platform - CrowdJustice - has been set up with the aim of funding public interest litigation including judicial reviews against central and local government.

New practical guidelines to assist lawyers when dealing with Litigants in Person

The London Legal Walk 2015
by Partner and Costs Lawyer John Moss

Harmans were again delighted to take part in this year's walk. Eight members of the firm took part including members from both the Aylesbury and Chelmsford offices.

This year the team included my youngest daughter Elizabeth, she is a nurse at Guys therefore clinical negligence cases were not mentioned! Maybe I hadn't adequately described the walk to her as she turned up dressed for a stroll around the park complete with large handbag! More power to her though as we both completed the course in about 1 hour 50 minutes and she remained as cool as a cucumber throughout.

Read the rest of John's account of the walk here.

Solicitor's clients allowed more time to complain

The six month time limit for clients to complain to the Legal Ombudsman is to be doubled from this summer, it has been announced.

The new time limit, which takes effect from 9 July 2015, runs from the date of receiving a final response from the lawyer.

Read more.

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